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Annapolis Armstrong Gun

Found this cool picture of an 1860's era Armstrong muzzle loading gun in the U.S. National Archives photostream on Flickr. The picture was taken in Annapolis, Maryland in 1866 by Matthew Brady of all people, and is described as being in a battery. Where is this gun now, I wonder. It looks to be about a 150 pounder, a big boy, and looks brand new. There is a similiar gun at West Point that was one captured from the Confederates at Fort Fisher in 1865, a battle also known as the biggest U. S. amphibious operation before Normandy. The gun fired an exotic elongated shell with copper studs that engaged the rifling for spin, and along with this had Armstrong devised "shunt rifling". This in effect made it easy to load (which is not normally easy on a muzzle loading rifled cannon, and when fired "shunted" the shell to the shallow grooves, which made it very accurate. Also using built up coil construction this made the gun one of the most advanced guns of it's day. The Fort Fisher gun wasn't fired much in anger, due to a small number of British shells for the gun. The Confederates tried to reproduce them but didn't have much luck. The fort had about a dozen shells in all. Fort Fisher is also trying to get it's West Point gun back according to their website. I haven't found out yet what happened to the Annapolis gun, but I'm still looking.

Latest Comments

hello I have an E.B Gun I'm looking for more information the barrel is quite long with a threaded end where a funnel would be fitted it has a martini action it was used as a furnace rifle they used to send down liquid cement with a charge I would like to know if this would be classed as a section 58 antique rifle hope that someone can help

Mr Waite my husband served the same time as a stoker his name was Bill Simpson (Simo) from Canada attatched to the Royal Navy

The Snider Bullet 11/20/17

From: John

Apologies for such a long delay Jesse but I lost the site. The use of 0.600" bullets is the modern choice but we have modern knowledge of how to do these things. Colonel Boxer had to work forwards from the previous muzzle loading bullets. It is hard to get that design to expand into the rifling when it depends upon the lead obturating upon itself with inertia when given the initial kick and the plug forcing forwards. It at this exact time that it is being restrained within the mouth of the case and then enters a throat wider than the bullet.

But for a reproduction of the original you have to go down that road. The 0.600" comes out of the case sized ready to enter the throat which is of similar diameter and is simply mechanically swaged down to 0.585" groove diameter at the rear of the rifling and emerges at 0.580" as the rifling groove depth reduces. I use the 0.600" in the brass Brazilian 24 bore shotgun case. FWIW at 50 metres I have yet to do better than a cut down 24 bore Fiocchi plastic shotgun case with a .600" round ball........

Swiss No4 powder seems to do the best job ob the original design these days but I use No5 now in the modern style. Your problem in making reproduction bullets is getting a mould that will give you the nose cavity which is essential in making them fly as they did back then. They first filled the cavity with a Sycamore plug, then just spun the nose lead over the cavity hole. William Metford developed the cavity to hold an explosive charge but filled it with charcoal powder for target shooting to show the shot more clearly. One can get a lightweight wall filler from DIY shops that would be a simple material to fill an open cavity. If you ever track down a mould make who can do both the base cavity and the nose cavity there are shooters who would gladly join in buying one I dare say.

The PHSADC Webley Fosbery 11/19/17

From: George

.455 no longer available from Fiochi or Hornady in the U.S. Unless someone starts making it available it's going to be a tough sell if you cannot purchase ammo off the shelf. HMS Tiptoe, where are you now? 11/9/17

From: Anne Adams

HELLO, I remember the incident very well. My husband was in Tiptoe when she ran aground up the Clyde in 64. He was a leading operator. I also remember the article as well and the title. I thought it was written by the Sun newspaper but that did not launch until September of that year. The only newspapers that I remember the family having were the Mirror, The Mail and Express. I did have a cutting in a scrapbook of the Tiptoe and also the other submarines my husband served on. I will have a search but I think with the moving we did It may have got lost. If I find it I will certainly let you know. 150 pounder Armstrong Gun at West Point